Yruvhan brightened up quickly. "Ve-Veera, is it true what I heard—"
"Move." Thauren pushed Yruvhan aside. "No fight needed? How arrogant. Doesn't saying that mean you believe you can defeat all of us, defeat me?"
Veera stared at him. "Can't you see what I'm bringing?" Even the lions began roaring, baring their fangs threateningly.
Some townspeople who had come to watch immediately fled in terror.
"You're going to threaten me with that?" Thauren laughed loudly. "Hey, woman. Don't you know that while you've been sewing and cooking, they've all been my daily toys?"
"You can try me."
Challenged like that, Thauren gritted his teeth in annoyance. "Damn woman."
He grabbed his beloved spear. Some said its shaft was forged from the First Flame—the fire ignited by the first sorcerer—and it was far harder than stone.
"I'll play your little game."
The man charged straight at Veera, but two lions immediately blocked his path. They pounced, tearing into Thauren mercilessly, but it didn't take long for him to break free.
One lion was stabbed straight through the face, and the other's neck was twisted until it snapped. Both kings of the jungle lay helpless. "Is that all?"
A pack of cheetahs advanced next, using their acceleration to increase both their attack power and shock factor in a brutal ambush.
Yet time and again, Thauren couldn't be taken down. It resembled more of a rodeo show, with Thauren like a matador.
Except, instead of a red cloth, Thauren wielded his mighty spear. And each time the cheetahs failed, they met their deaths.
People gasped when the last cheetah fell. They began to think Thauren might be much stronger than they had imagined.
'Could it be… he will win?' Yruvhan thought anxiously. He couldn't understand—if Veera planned to takeover the chief position, why wait until now?
'This is practically suicide.' Yruvhan couldn't even believe what he was seeing.
Instead of summoning more beasts, Veera stepped forward herself this time.
"Don't want to use your toys anymore?" Thauren sneered.
"It would be pointless."
"I suppose we can agree on that." Thauren charged again, his eyes filled with killing intent. What he saw before him was no longer an alhamera, no longer a woman—it was just prey.
'Prey worthy of tearing apart.'
He thrust his spear, its tip aimed for Veera's throat.
Almost.
'Huh?' Thauren squinted. :How…?'
Because now, Veera had stopped the attack with just one hand.
'Wait, one hand? Where's her other—'
SMACK!
Veera's fist, impossibly powerful, shattered Thauren's nose, sending him stumbling backward.
Not giving him a moment, Veera advanced and struck again.
Thauren, relying on his honed reflexes, blocked with his spear.
CRACK!
But it didn't work. The spear snapped in two.
Thauren kicked back, leaping away.
Veera, now glowing, chose not to close the distance further.
"What the hell is that? What kind of dirty trick are you using?" Thauren shouted angrily.
Veera only smiled. "Are you surrendering? If you do, maybe I'll consider sharing the secret."
"Bastard!" Thauren threw aside the broken half of his spear and attacked again with the sharp end.
He swung wildly, but Veera was too fast.
From the start, Veera's smaller frame gave her superior mobility. But this—this was unnatural.
'No one should be able to move that quickly.'
And when Thauren left an opening, Veera caught his wrist, twisting it until a loud crack echoed.
Thauren howled, dropping his spear and collapsing with tears streaming down his face.
He felt furious and powerless. 'How could I, the great Thauren, equal to Lord Varokh, be defeated by a woman?!'
Still unwilling to accept it, he tried to rise, but the sharp end of his broken spear was pressed against his eye.
"Move another inch, and you'll lose an eye. I've never experienced it myself, but I'm sure it's more painful than losing an arm."
Thauren hissed. 'This woman…'
Yet Veera wasn't bluffing. She pressed the spearhead closer, even when Thauren shifted slightly just to catch his breath.
"Fine." Thauren gritted his teeth. "I surrender."
Veera smiled and turned to the other contestants. "Any objections? Or would anyone else like to challenge me?"
The other participants exchanged nervous glances, then one by one, they dropped to their knees, bowing. "We pay our respects to the new Village Chief."
Veera discarded the broken spear and began to speak. "What I just demonstrated, as you might have guessed, is enhancement magic."
"Enhancement magic?"
"But doesn't the new Village Chief already have beast-taming magic?"
"Is it even possible to have more than one magic?"
"It is," Veera answered firmly, surprising everyone. "There are no strict limitations on how many types of magic one can master. If you can learn it, your potential is limitless."
"This will be our new power to fight the giant monster."
Someone spoke up hesitantly. "B-but, Chief, are you planning to fight on the battlefield again? With all due respect to your strength, you saw what happened to Lord Varokh. We're not ready to lose another Village Chief."
"That's right, Chief. And neither you nor Lord Varokh have heirs. If both of you fall, who will lead us?"
"Isn't that a completely irresponsible mindset? Are you planning to depend on others for your survival forever?" Veera rebuked them sharply.
Everyone immediately lowered their heads, ashamed. "B-but… only you who are blessed are strong enough to protect us from danger."
"Says who?"
That response made them look up, puzzled. "W-what do you mean, Chief?"
"Haven't I already told you? Magic has no limits."
"So, I'll teach y'all know. You will all undergo intense training until you vomit blood. I won't stop until we can all slaughter that monster and feast on its flesh together."